


Mission: Brave New World

by InkStainsOnMyHands



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - War, Call of Duty: Ghosts, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Racism, Shane is a good listener, Soldiers, ryan is a badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 18:41:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11857401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkStainsOnMyHands/pseuds/InkStainsOnMyHands
Summary: The Federation's rise to power had started years ago. When the great energy-producing deserts were destroyed, the world powers that depended on them collapsed. And in their wake, the Federation began to rise.The Federation united all of South America under one banner, and devoured everything in its path as it moved relentlessly to the north. After turning ODIN against us, the Federation stood on the doorstep of America, poised for the kill.They thought we were weak, crippled; prey waiting to be taken. We fought hard and we fought well. We fought them to a bloody stalemate. And here, just beyond the craters of "No Man's Land", we find ourselves in a defensive war against a more powerful enemy.[Edited May 3rd]





	Mission: Brave New World

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all this one is weird. It came about after I was explaining where I got the idea for Ryan's mask for my Marvel AU to a friend. While sending them the trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts, I got super nostalgic for this game. (I'm not going to lie, I immediately redownloaded it and started playing.) Since the game starts in 2017 in LA, I figured it was a perfect alternative universe for these guys. 
> 
> Don't worry, you wouldn't have had to play the game to understand this. However, if you want to set the mood, I would definitely suggest watching the [ teaser trailer ](https://youtu.be/SQEbPn36m1c) and the [gameplay trailer](https://youtu.be/Zxnx3W-HA18) .

Shane often envied Ryan.

 

Ryan adapted to life as a soldier like a rehabilitated animal adapted to the wild; slow and steady, but with a pronounced instinct that guided him at every turn. Never had Shane seen a civilian assemble a gun so quickly, shoot a bullet so accurately, or strike down an enemy so coldly.

 

Bergara was an asset, meanwhile, Shane fumbled through his training, making mediocre progress at best. If not for his skills as a strategist, inherited from years of playing tabletop games, of all things, he would have been absolutely useless to his team.

 

Not that they could afford to lose Shane. It was a war of attrition against _The Federation_ , after all. Every available, able-bodied person was considered a target by the enemy. Although Shane abhorred the idea of warfare, until the United States had a better foothold in this fight, he would find no shelter or safe haven. If he wanted to protect himself and his interests, he would need a gun and his own two hands.

 

Fortunately, former filmmakers were usually only tasked with reconnaissance and morale missions. So, how this particular mission went so south could only be blamed on bad _fucking_ luck.

 

The team was expected to film a sweep of the outer wall between US soil and _Federation_ occupied territory using a drone. However, the tiny apparatus malfunctioned, crashing straight into a group of nearby soldiers. It was only a matter of time before they were all pinned down by streams of gunfire, protected solely by abandoned vehicles on the empty highway. 

 

As bullets flew passed their ears, cutting through the air with deafening roars, Shane was asked, with near pleas from the rest of the team, to strategize a way out of their predicament with an outdated map as his only tool. They were too outnumbered to push forward or retreat, but the enemy was far too scattered for an airstrike to work, unless…

 

“We need to bottleneck them further towards this drainage basin, somehow,” Shane shouted. He traced the indent ahead of their position on the map with his finger.

 

Just then, a single round burned the air near the top of Shane's head. He wriggled further behind the flipped sedan being used as cover, all the while cursing his tall stature.

 

Ryan flipped the safety on his rifle to the “off” position. “Give me your helmet,” he ordered.

 

Even if Shane felt the urge to refuse, it would have been squelched by the burning fury in Ryan’s eyes, the passion of which ignited his soul. Shane did as was commanded without hesitation.

 

Ryan raised the headgear above the the front passanger tire of the car. Another round _zinged_ out, striking the side of the helmet. With the speed of a predator’s pounce, Ryan dropped the armor piece, stood and shot once, twice, three, four times. He ducked. With a harsh breath, he informed the team, “Five targets neutralized, and their sniper is down. Your bottleneck is coming.”

 

Shane craned his neck to the side to speak into the walkie-talkie strapped to his shoulder. “Requesting a bird for a strike and extraction.”

 

“Rodger that, Madej. Bird incoming. ETA: Ninety-seconds,” the monotone feminine voice informed Shane.

 

“We have to hold this parameter for 90 seconds,” Miller said, more as a question than an order.

 

Regardless, Ryan crouched on his knees. He placed the nose of his rifle on the edge of their cover and began to pull the trigger in precisely-timed intervals. In the distance, Shane could hear shrieks and curses.

 

The others followed Ryan’s lead, for the exception of Shane who watched the airstrike feed on the screen of his wrist console, as to be ready to guide it upon arrival.

 

A shout in Spanish ahead of them caused Ryan to take in a sharp breath of air. “Shit, they've spotted the bird. They're calling for their own.”

 

“Are you sure?” Peterson questioned with a harsh bark.

 

Just then, a whirling twisted the air just ahead of them. With dismay, Shane noted that it was not theirs based on its position. They were too late.

 

Machine fire descended upon them like a deadly rainshower. Their cover seemed to disintegrate around them.

 

“Five seconds, nine o’clock,” Ryan shouted. _One, two, three, four and five_ ; the machine gun fire stopped. The troop ran for the rusty, rotted-out trailer to their left, zigzagging to avoid stray bullets.

 

Their backs to the washed out surface, they panted. With a breathless grunt, Miller barked, “Now we can't strike back at the enemy.”

 

Shane cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “In forty-five seconds, we don't need to. At least, if we can clear their chopper from the sky.”

 

Ryan grinned. “Oh yeah,” he huffed out, thrill filling the space between his words.

 

“Thinkin’ what I'm thinkin’?” Shane chuckled as he handed him a sticky EMP grenade. Ryan wordlessly took the weapon.

 

“That cool down isn't going to last much longer, so if you got plan, execute it now, Bergara,” Miller ordered.

 

Ryan didn't need to be told twice. After several quick strides, he reached the end of the of trailer. In one swift movement, he pivoted around its corner and threw the device up into the sky. The sound of a metallic _clink,_ as the grenade locked into place, never sounded so sweet to Shane’s ears.

 

Shane swiped his index finger over the screen of his wrist console. A context menu appeared. He chose to active the smart grenade immediately.

 

The air around them filled with a magnetic energy that pulsed outward. For a moment, everyone was stunned by the vacuum that stole away any and all sound from around them. Shane’s electronic screen wavered for a second before returning online.

 

After a few, restless heartbeats, a thunderous _boom_ signaled the downfall of the enemy’s helicopter. The heat from the explosion so near them warmed their exposed skin, but it was an awesome and welcomed sensation.

 

Soon, they would be rescued.

 

* * *

 

 

Cheers met Shane the moment he entered their newly arrived aircraft.

 

“Way to go, _Mayday_!” Miller shouted from his web seat.

 

Meanwhile, Peterson applauded, the emergency medical personnel grinned at him, and the pilots from the cockpit gave him a thumbs up.

 

Shane wanted to point out that it was his drone that compromised the mission, but that would be a conversation for his superiors. Instead, he attempted to highlight the _true_ accomplishments of his best friend. “Bergara was the one who took out their aircraft - and shot down a sniper!”

 

The sparked murmurings were positive in nature, but underwhelming, much to Shane’s chagrin.

 

* * *

 

 

The adrenaline didn't wear down until he was seated at the edge of his bunk. Every inch of Shane burned with overuse, from his aching lungs to his quaking legs. His fingers and toes trembled. All of the emotions that had been drained from him came back with the force of a tidal wave, the most prominent of which was irritation.

 

Shane’s hazel eyes landed on Ryan, who was seated across from him, typing away at his computer, tasked with filling out the _MAA_ report. The young man was so diligent in his duties, far too diligent for Shane’s liking.

 

“Why isn’t Miller writing that?” Shane asked, the question stemming low in his throat.

 

Ryan rubbed his mouth with his palm. Without looking up, he replied, “He asked me to do it.”

 

Shane swallowed.

 

“And why is it he’s always making you do the grunt work? Or never praising you for the shit you do, like, I don't know, taking down an enemy plane? I mean, fuck, what the hell is up with that guy?” he growled. His hand itched to throw something; not for the first time, he recognized a change in his easy-going nature, a change he did not like.

 

With a bitter laugh, Ryan retorted, “You know what’s up, man.”

 

The taller man stood from his seat and made his way over to Ryan’s bed. He settled himself next to his longtime companion. Maybe if he made himself close, with a private ear, Ryan would reveal what had transpired that irked their commanding officer so much.

 

“No, I don’t,” Shane murmured. “What happened between you two?”

 

Ryan tore his eyes away from the laptop screen and trained them on Shane’s. His eyebrow quirked and his lips pursed. “The - the war, happened, Shane,” he stated, as though it were an obvious matter-of-fact.

 

Shane returned the bemused expression. How would the war have any bearing on anything? Miller hadn’t met Ryan until after they both volunteered for service.

 

In an instant, something in Ryan’s gaze cleared. The tight lines of his expression loosened, almost in shock. “Do you seriously not get it?”

 

Shane shook his head. “No, what’re you talking about?”

 

A shimmer came over Ryan’s chocolate irises, the sight of which struck Shane’s core. A powerful force urged the taller man to touch his friend in some sort of comforting fashion, but he didn’t know how. Instead, he settled with softening his expression to be more open, soothing.

 

“You - ? Do you not see me the way they do?” Ryan asked, his voice wet and harsh. The space between his brows drew inward.  

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Shane,” Ryan began, voice broken. “They - They don’t see me as a comrade. They see me as one of them, t-the enemy.”

 

That shocked Shane. He couldn’t possibly fathom that what Ryan was saying was actually true. Ryan had proven himself a capable soldier, least of all a loyal American. What would make Ryan think such a horrible thing? Or, even think that Shane shared that opinion?

 

Then again, it did make a horrifying amount of sense. The constant narrowed eyes in Ryan’s direction, the grueling tasks assigned to him, the snarling orders thrown his way - all of it was explained so simply. Still, how could it be?

 

“But, you’re Japanese?” Shane questioned.

 

“And Mexican!” Ryan blew out, exasperated. “They take one look at my skin color and my last name, and suddenly I’m not an American, I’m one of the bad guys.”

 

Shane ran a hand through his hair. Air escaped his flared nostrils in harsh breaths.

 

How dare they? How dare they make Ryan feel like this, after working so hard to protect them?

 

“If - if it makes you feel any better,” Shane breathed out. “When I look at you, I see Ryan, my friend.”

 

Ryan smiled softly, silently.

 

Shane mirrored the small affection. His hand came up near his chest to tear off his nametag. He handed the velcro strap to Ryan.  “I can’t do anything about your skin color, but if you want it, you can have my last name.”

 

An abrupt dusting of crimson colored Ryan’s cheeks. The corners of his lips twitched before they fell completely. His eyes, previously downcast, became absolutely crestfallen. “Shouldn’t you ask me out on a date first before we get married?” he joked lamely as he pawed at his eyes.  

 

Shane chuckled. “After all we’ve been through? I don’t think I could get married to you fast enough.”

 

Before Ryan had a chance to respond, Shane leaned forward and captured the younger man’s lips in a molten kiss. To his delight, he confirmed he read Ryan’s signals correctly by the way the other man melted into his touch.  

 

Later that day, the two ran into the chapel, marriage certificate in hand.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments validate my existence :D


End file.
